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Constantinople Rules7
Constantinople Rules7
This makes it
Constantinople a particularly good classroom simulation.
The history of the Byzantine Empire AD330 to AD1453. Constantinople is not a highly detailed, historically accurate
simulation of the history of the Byzantine Empire, but is
Contents
historically based and gives a sense of the real situation of
[1.0] Using These Rules the Byzantine Empire throughout its existence, and provides
[2.0] Introduction some insights into the history surrounding Constantinople
[3.0] Game Equipment and the Byzantine Empire.
[4.0] Setting Up The Game [3.0] GAME EQUIPMENT
[5.0] Sequence of Play The Game Map: The 8.5” x 11” game map shows the area
[6.0] The Game Turn around the Byzantine Empire. It has been superimposed
with spaces for the opposition nations as they encroach on
[7.0] Victory & Defeat
Roman territory, plus boxes for various housekeeping
[8.0] Event Card Phase functions.
[9.0] Opponent Phase The Administrative Board contains tracks for the six
[10.0] Administration Resources used to manage the Byzantine Empire. Together,
[11.0] Action Phase the lower three Resources (Dynasty, Economy and Religion)
are referred to as Developments.
[12.0] Resolve Events Phase
The Playing Pieces: The cardboard game pieces represent
[13.0] Optional Rules
the ten opposition forces, hereafter referred to as units, and
[14.0] Historical Notes
the seven markers for use on the administrative tracks. The
information on units is read as follows:
[1.0] USING THESE RULES Opposition Nation is the national identity of that unit.
New gaming terms, when they are initially defined, appear
in dark red lettering for quick referencing. Strength is the number that you must exceed on a die roll in
order to “push back” that opponent or to increase that
The instructions for this game are organized into major
resource.
“Rules” sections as shown in the dark green CAPS font, and
represented by the number to the left of the decimal point Event Cards: Thirty Event cards are also included in the
(e.g., rule 4.0 is the fourth rule). These rules generally game. They drive the action on the board as they are
explain the game’s subject matter, components, procedures revealed, one at a time, during play.
for play, its core system, how to set it up, and how to win. [4.0] SETTING UP THE GAME
Place the five starting opponent pieces (Armenia, Persia,
With each Rule, there can be “Cases” that further explain a
Vandals, Goths and Huns) in the “4” space of its
rule’s general concept or basic procedure. Cases might also
corresponding track. Place the remaining opponents (marked
restrict the application of a rule by denoting exceptions to it.
with either II or III) in the inactive opponent’s box. Place the
Cases are an extension of a Rule shown in the way that they
six resource pieces (Walls, Armies, Monuments, Dynasty,
are numbered. For example, Rule 4.1 is the first Case of the
Economy and Religion) on the highlighted starting space of
fourth Rule.
the corresponding Resource track on the A dministrative
Important Information is in red text. Board. Sort the Event Cards into the three ages. Shuffle the
References to examples of a Rule or Case are in blue text. age III cards together and place face down in the Draw
Deck. Shuffle the age II cards together and place face down
Text in shaded boxes, like this, provides the voice of the on top of the age III cards. Finally shuffle and place the age
game’s designer, who is addressing you to explain an I cards on top of the rest of the Event cards. With a 6-sided
idea or concept that is not, itself, a Rule or Case.
die in hand (that you provide), play is ready to begin.
[2.0] INTRODUCTION
Constantinople is a solitaire game simulating the history of
[5.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAY
A complete game of Constantinople consists of a number of
the Byzantine Empire from AD330 to AD1453. The player
Game Turns up to 30, the number of Event Cards in the
abstractly controls the administration and military forces of deck.
the Byzantine Empire against ten separate opponents.
Random events, the actions of the opponents, and options [6.0] THE GAME TURN
for you, the Byzantine player, are determined by revealing You, the Byzantine Player, conduct each Game Turn
through a series of ‘Phases’ in the exact order listed below:
Event cards. If you can keep Constantinople from
destruction or collapse by the time the Draw Pile is 1. Event Card Phase: Reveal the top card in the Draw
Pile and place it, face-up, in the Action Pile (a.k.a., the
exhausted, then victory has been achieved. Although
‘discard pile’). As the top card in the Action Pile, that
designed for solo play, Constantinople can also be played as Event card becomes the new ‘Current Event’ you
a team game, with one team working together as the resolve that turn.
2. Opponent Phase: Adjust one space along its track (i.e., Any special rules are noted on the card itself and apply only
to the next numbered box) all of the Opponent armies during the Game Turn when it is the Current Event Card. The
indicated on the card. If any opponents advance to only exception to this rule is the Gunpowder event (#30) which
Constantinople, you immediately resolve a siege (see persists after the turn in which it is drawn. When Gunpowder is
9.3). played, place the Gunpowder token on the Walls resource track
3. Administration Phase: Adjust resources on your to indicate that the walls are more easily destroyed during
administration tracks in accordance with the sieges.
instructions on the Event Card.
4. Action Phase: You may now perform up to the [9.0] OPPONENT PHASE
indicated number of actions in an effort to build up your The card indicates which, if any, opponent nations advance one
resources and push back neighbouring nations space that Game Turn. Advancing armies are moved to the
according to the rules of combat (see 11.0). next-lower Box along their respective tracks (e.g., from Box #4
5. Resolve Events Phase: If instructed by the card and to Box #3). Retreating armies are moved to the next-higher
according to the game situation, change the Activity Box, but never past their Box #4.
Status of opponents (active, inactive or pacified) in
accordance with the rules on Activity Status (12.0) [9.1] Speed Limit: An opponent nation never advances
At the conclusion of the Resolve Events phase, begin a new more than one space in a single Game Turn.
Game Turn by repeating these five steps and continue to do
[9.2] All Slowest: Two Event Cards in each A ge state that
so until the game is won or lost (see below).
“All Slowest” opponents advance. That is, look at the highest
[7.0] VICTORY & DEFEAT numbered box currently occupied by any o pponent army, then
Losing the Game: The game ends in defeat if the last wall advance every o pponent army in that same-numbered box one
of Constantinople is destroyed by a besieging opponent or space.
either a siege or an event card requires a reduction in a For example: The Armenians and Vandals are in their
resource already in the #0 box. respective ‘3’ boxes, while the other active opponents are in
The losing score is calculated as follows: their ‘1’ or ‘2’ boxes. If all slowest opponents are ordered to
Number of cards drawn + 2 per level of monument resource + 6 advance, both the Armenians and Vandals would advance to
per pacified opponent their respective ‘2’ boxes.
Winning the Game: The game ends in victory at the end of the
[9.3] Sieges: If one or more advancing opponents start the
turn in which the final Event Card is played.
Game Turn in their #1 Box, they besiege Constantinople.
The winning score is calculated as follows:
For each opponent besieging Constantinople, lose one
30 + 2 per level of monument resource + 6 per pacified
Development Resource of your choice. The besieging
opponent + the current Box # location of each opponent nation
still in play + the current Box # value of the highest armies then attack the Walls of Constantinople. If more than
development resource. one opponent attacks, begin with the strongest, then the next
1-10 = Crushing defeat strongest and so on until all sieges are resolved. If there is a
11-20 = Decisive Defeat tie for strength the opponents attack in order from left to
21-30 = Substantial Defeat right on the Opponents Advance section of the Event
31-40 = Marginal Defeat Marginal Victory Card.
41-50 = Stalemate Marginal Victory Siege Procedure
51-60 = Stalemate Substantial Victory Roll a die and compare the result with the strength of the
61-70 = Stalemate Decisive Victory opponent. If the Gunpowder (Event Card # 30) is in effect
71-10 = Stalemate Crushing Victory apply a -1 Die Roll Modifier (“DRM”). No other DRMs
0 affect sieges.
For example: Historically, the Byzantines ‘lost the game’
If the modified die roll result is greater than (>) the strength
with 44 points (a Stalemate), thus: The Vandals and
of the opponent, the siege is over and the opponent returns
Bulgarians were pacified (12 points). The Turks besieged
to its #1 Box.
and took Constantinople on Turn 30 with the Gunpowder
event (30 points). Constantinople had one monument, the If the modified die roll result is less than or equal to (<=) the
Hagia Sofia (2 points). strength of the opponent, the walls have been breached.
Reduce the Wall Resource by 1, and immediately perform
[8.0] EVENT CARD PHASE the siege procedure against the next wall. If the Wall
Each card’s title and flavour text are provided to help ‘tell the
story’ through events from the history of Byzantium. The Age Resource is reduced to #0, the game is over and ends in
of each Event Card indicates the present Age of the game. As defeat, see section [7.0].
soon as an Event Card is played the corresponding Age is
considered to be in progress. [10.0] ADMINISTRATION
Update the Resources on the Administrative Board in
You should read each card as it is revealed and resolve its
Opponents Advance, Administration, and Actions as explained accordance with the Administration instructions on the
in Rules 9.0, 10.0 and 11.0.
Current Event card. Where an option is given, you choose Note that Monuments cannot be built on turn 30.
which resource to gain or lose.
Dynasty: Spent at any time to take a look at the following
If there are insufficient Resources available to lose when turn’s Event Card. Note that this does not trigger an
required, Constantinople collapses to internal revolt and the advance to that card’s Age. Dynasty is also used to pacify
game ends in defeat (see 7.0). opponents, see [12.1]
Note that the maximum level of any Resource is #6. Any Economy: Spent prior to an Administration action die roll
increase in a Resource already in the #6 Box is lost. to gain a +1 DRM to that roll. Economy is also used to
Retreat opponents using the Tribute Payment Event Card.
[11.0] ACTION PHASE
During your Action Phase you may conduct a number of Religion: Spent after conducting a failed Campaign.
actions up to the amount shown on the Current Event Allows you to re-roll that Campaign die roll, retaining any
Card. You need not conduct all the actions that you are DRMs from Event Cards and Armies already expended.
allowed that Game Turn. Campaigns are conducted against
[11.3] Expending Multiple Resources: Note that while you
opponent nations on the Game Map. Administration
are allowed to spend more than one different Resource on a
actions are conducted to gain resources on the
single Action, you cannot spend more than one of a single
Administrative Board.
Resource on a single Action.
[11.1] If you conduct multiple actions that Turn, you are
For example: You are determined to push back the Arabs.
entitled to know the results of earlier actions before deciding
You may spend one Army Resource point to gain +1 DRM
which action to take next.
versus the Arabs, but you may not spend two Resource
Campaign Procedure points to gain +2. However, if the Campaign fails, you may
Each Campaign action is conducted separately. Designate spend a Religion Resource point to re-roll the Campaign
one opponent nation to be the target of each Campaign and roll die roll, retaining the +1 DRM for the army already spent.
a die. The die roll may be modified by a DRM on the Current
Event card, or by spending one army resource point before the [12.0] RESOLVE EVENTS PHASE
die roll. Die rolls less than one are treated as ‘1,’ and die rolls Update the Activity Status of opponents as instructed by the
greater than six are treated as ‘6.’ Current Event card and depending on the game situation.
If the modified die roll result is less than or equal to (<=) the [12.1] Pacification: The Special Rule on some E vent Cards
Strength of the designated opponent, there is no effect. can cause an opponent nation to be “Pacified.” Specifically, if
If it is greater than (>) the target opponent’s Strength, that that opponent army is in its #4 Box during the Resolve Events
opponent is retreated one space along its track (see 11.0). Phase, you are entitled to spend an amount of development
points (Dynasty or Religion) specified on the Event Card
[11.2] Failed Campaigns: Opponents never advance as the equal to the strength of that opponent in order to Pacify them.
result of a failed Byzantine campaign. They simply remain in Take that opponent unit off its track and place it in the
place. “Pacified Opponents” box. Any future advances by that army
[11.3] Protracted Campaigns: A single opponent can be the are simply ignored.
target of multiple campaigns during a single Game Turn. For example: The Current Event card is Conversion. The
Administration Procedure Religion Resource is on the #5 Box. Since the Persians are in
Each administrative action is conducted in a similar way to the #3 Box you use your final Action to launch a Campaign to
Campaigns. The “strength” of the administrative resource is Retreat them to the #4 Box. You roll a ‘3’ and the Campaign
fails. Looking at the Game Map you see that only the Vandals
printed on the corresponding marker. This gives the target
and Goths are in the #4 space. You decide to Pacify the Goths,
(greater than >) number to advance the resource by one
reducing the Religion Resource by 3, the Strength of the
space along its track. As with a protracted campaign, you
Goths, and place the Goths unit in the ‘Pacified Opponents’
may attempt the same administration action or perform
box.
different administration actions with each available action.
The resources are used as follows: [12.2] Inactive Opponents: At the start of the game there are
five inactive opponents. During Age II and III these opponents
Walls: Used to defend against sieges by opponents. can be activated by the Special Rule on Event Cards. When
Armies: Spent prior to a Campaign action die roll to gain a one of these Event Cards is drawn, if the corresponding
+1 DRM to that roll. opponent track is already occupied by an existing opponent
unit, remove that unit and place it in the Inactive Opponents
Monuments: Used to gain points for final scoring. Note that space. If the existing opponent has already been Pacified then
the cost to gain monuments increases with each passing age. no unit is removed. Now place the new opponent in the correct
In Age I Monuments are “strength” 2, in Age II starting Box. In Age II opponents start in the #3 Box, in Age III
Monuments are “strength” 3, and in Age III Monuments opponents start in the #2 Box. If an Event Card specifies an
are “strength” 4. Inactive Opponent to advance, that advance is ignored.
[12.3] Tribute Payment: The Special Rule on the Tribute Standing for more than a millennium, if Constantinople,
Payment event allows you to reduce your Economy Resource the greatest city in Christendom, had not withstood the
by one point in exchange for Retreating one opponent by one many opponents who challenged her through the ages,
space. Note that you may not retreat an opponent any further Europe would likely have been overrun by Muslims, and
than the #4 Box. the course of world history, for better or worse, would
have been altered beyond all recognition.
Note that there is one pacification by Religion, one
pacification by Dynasty and one tribute payment Event
Card per Age.
[13.0] OPTIONAL RULES
[13.1] Easy Game Setup: To reduce the difficulty of the
game, increase each starting Resource on the
Administrative Board by 1 (medium difficulty) or 2 (easy
difficulty). Once you are familiar with the game you should
play with the indicated starting values for historical
difficulty.
[13.2] Historical Campaign: To play the Historical
Campaign, sort the Event Cards in to #ID order, beginning
with #1 Arianism and finishing with #30 Gunpowder. With
this deterministic order of Events it should not be necessary
to expend Dynasty resources to forecast future Events.